The rise of the scary-sounding variants, a South African third Covid-19 wave that was much worse than the first or second for most of the country, and the introduction of multiple vaccines has confused many of us. Uncertainty about the future is always frightening. This is especially so when sc.
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30 January 2021, 1:15 PM | Liela Magnus | @SABCNews
Image: ReutersAllais says the spread of fake news can be stopped when citizens empower themselves and trust in the media is returned.
Criminalising fake news will not stop the spread of misinformation, but strengthening quality journalism might, says Wits University Professor of Philosophy, Lucy Allais.
Allais was speaking during a webinar on Fake News and Misinformation.
Twitter is the platform where most fake news are distributed and the Department of Health and the Presidency are the most targeted. They are followed by the education department and the police.
Allais says the spread of fake news can be stopped when citizens empower themselves and trust in the media is returned.
The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine(s) will be an intricate, difficult and vital operation. It has every chance of working, and, apart from one very important caveat, it is certainly possible to make a reality. It is not a lack of money or resources that may prevent it from happening, but politics and the management of those resources. While the arguments have already begun, this is a chance for science to show its magic.
Considering our recent past and the evidence showing the near-fatal hollowing out of our state and its capacity, it would be entirely reasonable to presume that to vaccinate millions of people in a short period of time is impossible. If we cannot keep the lights on, how can we inoculate so many people in South Africa’s every nook and cranny?
Ina Opperman Vaccines are the most effective and permanent health responses, as demonstrated in the past with the smallpox, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, measles, tetanus, diphtheria (whooping cough) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines that reduced morbidity and mortality. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)
The good news, according to an analysis by a group of scientists from Wits University, is that we can in fact afford it and they have done the math.
They have illustrated that the overall cost of all three phases of a vaccine roll-out in South Africa, based on the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine and Covax supplies, would be R7.4-billion, with an added R1.2-billion for nursing costs. This means a total outlay of R8.6-billion.